


Nightlight

by Variative



Series: Last Man Standing [1]
Category: Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Gen, Prompt Fill
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-13
Updated: 2017-12-13
Packaged: 2019-02-14 06:29:12
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,232
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13001835
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Variative/pseuds/Variative
Summary: Oh-nine heard himself groan, the noise forcing itself up out of his throat, tried to convince himself that this wasn't the worst he'd had.





	Nightlight

**Author's Note:**

  * For [propheticfire](https://archiveofourown.org/users/propheticfire/gifts).



> For Phire. 
> 
> (In case it's unclear, Oh-nine and Vale are the same person.)

It was a long ways still back to the rendezvous point, and then the ceiling caved in.

Oh-nine coughed dust out of his mouth, hearing the whine of his intakes as they struggled to filter out the particulates. Something heavy was pinning him, and he couldn't see. "Foray," he choked into his comm, and only got back hissing static in response. "Foray," he called again.

Nothing.

They'd been making their way back, picking off droids as they went and it was  _nothing_ like training, not when he was fighting through clankers three deep in the dark crush of the subterranean tunnels, Foray with him and then not as droids got between them and then there again, grabbing Oh-nine's arm and dragging him away. Every time it made Oh-nine's heart shoot into his throat, his blaster jerking up in an aborted reflex that came in the space between registering the sudden touch and recognizing Foray as a brother. Gator and Savvy were gone, _gone,_ and they'd lost contact with Spike. Oh-nine had no idea how they'd made it this far,  _this was nothing like training._ His heart was pounding faster than it ever had before in his life. 

Then, somewhere, a bomb or an explosion or just the destabilized old tunnels finally giving way, and he was pinned, black dust choking his filters, static hissing in his comm, and Foray gone.

Oh-nine tried to shift out from under the weight on his back, but pain lanced through his legs and lower back, so bad he couldn't even scream, just grit his teeth and wait for the wrenching pain to subside.  The inside of his gauntlets and under his arms were slick with sweat, but the wet heat between his legs, under his right thigh where the pain originated, was probably not sweat. A stabbing pain drove into his side every time he pulled in a breath. A broken rib, probably. Maybe more than one. Oh-nine heard himself groan, the noise forcing itself up out of his throat, tried to convince himself that this wasn't the worst he'd had.

_Breathe, breathe. Steady._

He sucked in three deep breaths and then made himself focus, assess the situation. The frantic rabbiting of his heart was no slower, but Oh-nine could think through the pain again. 

It was bad, though. He didn't need to see to know that it was bad.

The weight on his back was too heavy to shift by himself, especially with his leg in the shape that it was. He groped forward in his hands, feeling the broken floor underneath him, the chunks of rubble scattered around, and then his hands stopped less than half a meter out from his face and came up against a sudden edge, another slab of ceiling lying on that would have crushed him.

He was already being crushed, a helpful voice in the back of his head piped up. This way it would just take longer.

Oh-nine sucked in a breath and let it out on an uncontrolled sob. It hurt so bad, he couldn't bear it, he was so _scared_ —

"Foray," he cried out over the comm, and then broadcast it as loud as he could through his helmet speakers, not caring if there were droids around to hear. "Foray!  _Please…"_

"I'm here, vod'ika," came Foray's familiar low grumble of a voice, even distorted by the helmet speakers, and Oh-nine nearly sobbed, with relief this time. Light flickered over the black rubble, dust glittering in the beams, and then Foray was  _there,_ dropping down in front of Oh-nine and kneeling in front of him.

"Hells, Oh-nine," Foray said unsteadily, instead of  _doing anything._ He reached out, over Oh-nine's head, gloves rasping against the stone pinning him.

"Help me," Oh-nine gasped. "Please, Foray, I—I'm scared. Please get me out of here."

Foray still didn't move, just dragged his fingers back and forth, back and forth, the low rasping sound of his gloves on the stone filling Oh-nine's ears until he throught he would go mad from it and from the horrible pain.

"Vod'ika, please help me," Oh-nine said. "Foray…"

"Okay," Foray said, jolting a little, and he got unsteadily to his feet. "I'm gonna—I'm gonna try to move it, okay?"

"Hurry," Oh-nine whispered.

"Ready," Foray said firmly, "On three." He counted it off and then lifted until Oh-nine heard him groan with effort, dimly, as Oh-nine tried to drag himself forward and the pain rose to a scream. He collapsed, dizzy and sick, and a moment later Foray slumped with a gasp. Oh-nine panted and swallowed back bile. His ears were ringing, and his hands trembled on the floor in front of his face. It hurt all over, it  _hurt,_ it  _hurt._

The block hadn't even shifted.

Oh-nine sobbed, once, and then he bit down hard on the inside of his cheek to make himself shut up. He closed his eyes against the pain.

"O–Oh-nine," Foray said quietly, "That thing must be a ton or more. I—I can't move it, vod'ika. I have to leave you behind. I'm sorry."

It didn't penetrate for a long moment, long enough that Foray knelt down and said, "Can you hear me, Oh-nine?"

"No," Oh-nine gasped, shuddering. "N–no, Foray…"

"You'll be okay," Foray whispered. "Someone will come back for you, Oh-nine, okay? You'll be fine."

All Oh-nine could do was tremble and sob,  _no, no, no,_ over and over again. He knew. He knew there was no one who would come back for him.

"Yes," Foray said fiercely. "They will. I promise. Tell me you understand, Oh-nine."

Oh-nine was silent for a moment, too long. Foray snapped, " _Tell me,_ damn you!"

"I understand," Oh-nine said brokenly, letting his head sink down to the floor. It was for Foray. He said it for Foray, so he could go, so he could save himself. Oh-nine would be strong, brave for Bravo Squad.

But Foray stood up and Oh-nine couldn't help himself begging. 

"Please," he moaned, soft. "Please, just kill me now, vod'ika, please, please, please, oh gods don't leave me here, don't leave me here, just end it, it hurts too much, don't leave me alone here…"

The light retreated, the sound of Foray's hasty footsteps echoed into silence, and Oh-nine sobbed and sobbed and begged for someone to end it, but he was alone. He was all alone in the dark.

* * *

At first it was all dark, and then gradually Vale became aware of the thin strips of emergency lights, the glow of the door panel. The panic ebbed, and slowly his mind registered that it wasn't dark, that he was lying on his bunk in the ARC barracks, and everything was quiet, except for someone snoring on another bunk.

Vale pressed a hand to his chest. His heart was hammering, his shirt soaked through with a cold sweat. He breathed steadily, in and out.

"You're safe," he whispered to himself, and shivered hard. "You're safe."

Foray had died on a star destroyer halfway across the galaxy from Vale in a sudden, fiery explosion that instantly incinerated him and everyone on board. Foray had loved Vale. Foray would have killed him.

It was only a nightmare.

Vale closed his eyes and wiped the tears from his cheeks, and then he rolled over to face the room and stared for a long time at the faint, steady lights.

 


End file.
